Apple iPhone iOS 9.0

iOS 9: Smarter, Leaner, and More Productive

Released on September 16, 2015, iOS 9 focused on making the iPhone more "proactive" while significantly improving the performance of older devices. For the community at Chasms.com, iOS 9 is remembered as the update that added depth to the "flat" design of the previous years without slowing things down.

Proactive Intelligence: Siri and Search

Siri became much more than a voice assistant in iOS 9.

• Siri Suggestions: By swiping right from the home screen, you were met with a new "Proactive" search page that suggested contacts you might want to call or apps you usually open at that specific time of day.

• Deep Linking: Search became more powerful, allowing you to search for content inside of apps—like a specific recipe or a flight confirmation—directly from the spotlight.

The Great "Slim Down"

Apple addressed a major pain point for users with 16GB devices.

• Smaller Update Size: While iOS 8 required a massive 4.5GB of free space to install, iOS 9 was slimmed down to just 1.3GB.

• App Thinning: This technology ensured that when you downloaded an app, you only downloaded the parts needed for your specific device, saving precious storage space for your photos and videos.

Key Productivity Features

• The News App: iOS 9 saw the debut of the Apple News app, replacing "Newsstand" with a personalized feed of articles from top publishers.

• Redesigned Notes: Notes was transformed from a text-only app into a rich media tool where you could add checklists, photos, and even sketch with your finger.

• Low Power Mode: One of the most essential features ever added, this allowed users to extend their battery life by an extra hour by temporarily reducing background activity and performance.

Navigation and Transit

Apple Maps finally added Transit view, providing detailed maps and schedules for subways, buses, and trains in major cities. It even included "multimodal" routing to help you navigate complex stations with ease.